A Brief History of the Retreat Program in the Diocese of Covington

The diocesan retreat program began under the guidance of Bishop William T. Mulloy. In 1946 he purchased the Williamsdale Farm in Erlanger. The property became the home of St. Pius X Seminary and the Marydale Retreat Center.

The retreat house, on a hill overlooking a lake, opened in 1957 and was the scene of hundreds of retreats over the years. Bishop Roger Foys sold the retreat house and most of the property back to the Williams Family, the original owners, in 2006, although Marydale was allowed to remain in operation for another six years. The final retreat at Marydale was held in December 2012.

Bishop Foys had studied the possibility of converting the former St. Pius X Seminary building into a new retreat center. But on August 23, 2012, the bishop announced that he was instead purchasing St. Anne Convent from the Sisters of Divine Providence.